Fox Sports analyst Charles Davis discussed the Falcons and their upcoming game against the Redskins with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.
The Falcons (3-4), coming off their bye week, will play surprising Washington (5-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
Davis will work the game with Kevin Burkhardt, who will handle the play-by-play and with Pam Oliver, who will serve as the field reporter.
Here's what Davis, who believes the 5-2 Redskins are legitimate, had to say:
Q. How does the Ha Ha Clinton-Dix trade help the Redskins?
A. I think it helps them in a big way because of the way (D.J.) Swearinger is playing. You throw Clinton-Dix in there and now you really lock down the middle of the field. I think it probably allows Swearinger to be much more of what he does naturally, be more of a strong safety and let Clinton-Dix be the free safety.
Q. Is the Redskins defense built around their defensive tackles? (Da'Ron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Matt Ioannidis)
A. Those three have played really well. What helps them is that those outside linebackers, Preston Smith and Ryan (Kerrigan), they don't get enough credit for their run defense. Those guys set a really nice edge and it makes it a hard deal inside and to the perimeter. It's hard for teams to run the football. I think that they handle things up front so well that it allows (Zach) Brown, (Mason) Foster and even Swearinger to clean things up on the back end and run to the football pretty free.
Q. How's Foster, the old Tampa Bay Buc, playing for them?
A. He's playing really well. Excited about the opportunity to get back on the field. Remember, he had that bad injury last year. For him to make it back was exciting. He got elected as a captain and was really juiced about that. He's the signal caller. So, he's in the middle of everything. He is their leading tackler not just by accident. He's making a lot of plays.
Q. What's going on with Ol' Man Adrian Peterson?
A. I would love to know. Whatever he's doing, I'd love to have it. I've always said that he's the type of guy who doesn't recover from injuries. He regenerates. I've always called him Wolverine. ... I remember reading earlier this year him saying that when he was out and training camps begin and he wasn't in one, he and his trainer, in their process, tried to replicate training camp. That's how he was trying to get ready. He's come in and the way they did their workouts, they did it like you'd do it in a training camp. ... What he's doing is off the charts. If he gets to 1,000 (yards), at his age, we are talking about John Riggins territory. We are talking about Frank Gore territory. We are not mentioning a lot of names. Barry Sanders retired at 30. Jim Brown at 29. ... He's their whole offense. You think of (head coach) Jay Gruden and you think of throwing the football around. Jay (has told them) to turn around and stick it in 26's chest and it's working pretty well.
Q. What are the Falcons going to do at safety?
A. They like to do it from within. They believe the way they do their fundamentals and the Plan D (their player development plan) and every thing else that they do, that's a better bet for them. What I want to see is if the defense keeps making improvements, we saw some against the Giants. Let's face it, the Giants have some talent on that side of the ball. It's just hard for them to block for their quarterback. If they keep making improvements and Matt (Ryan) keeps playing to the level he's playing, I'm eager to see Sunday if it turns into a shootout type game. Washington doesn't want to play that way. Atlanta would love to play that way this week. That's where the test of wills is going to be.
Q. How's offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian deploying his weapons?
A. It's the second year for Sark, last year a lot of what he was trying to do was replicate what they'd done before under Kyle (Shanahan). I don't know if they hamstrung him at all. But it doesn't make you 100 percent comfortable if you are thinking, O.K., I'd like to call this, but they did it this way before. I think he's just a lot more comfortable this year and he probably has a little bit more free reign. But you also have to add in that Austin Hooper continues to develop at tight end. That's a big deal because that changes what the defense is doing on the back end. Ito Smith's development to help out Tevin Coleman has been huge for them. Then you throw in (Mohamed) Sanu and (Calvin) Ridley with (Julio) Jones. ... Ridley has really come along. ... And Marvin Hall. They are kind of perking on all cylinders and it's fun to watch.
Q. Were you impressed with the kicker?
A. (Laughing) Yeah, dude comes off his couch and bangs through a 56-yarder. That was one where people were going 'I don't know if I'd do that. I'd punt the ball.' I understand why. DQ, give him credit. A lot of it is very central to the way we are playing offense in the NFL. ... It's is hard to slow people down. You better get what you can, when you can. I keep hearing that Matt Bryant is going to test it out on Thursday. I have a hard time believing he'll be ready to go this weekend. I think we'll see that kid (Giorgio Tavecchio) again this weekend."
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